


A night on the town.

by IceBreeze



Series: Step aside exy, Skyrim is in town [7]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, Aroace Matt Boyd, Asexual Character, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 20:16:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10647288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceBreeze/pseuds/IceBreeze
Summary: She looked different, her hair much shorter than the last time she’d seen her and wearing clothes much less lavish than she’d have been seen dead in, but the face- Allison knew that face. She’d known her, and Allison resisted the urge to curse as she realised how this made things much more complicated.(If she was here, then the Alik’r wouldn’t be far behind. And if the Alik’r came here then, well. Allison would have so many problems that her problems would have problems).(Part 4).





	A night on the town.

**Author's Note:**

> Did I say slowburn? Ha, well they skip like 1800 steps here but still only the beginnings. Their relationship is still a fetus. Also Matt finally makes his debut! (Just a note: Matt is Aroace in this story. It's not gonna have any effect on the actual story but thought I should mention it). There's this chapter and then maybe one more to provide more character building before they actually get to Bleak Falls Barrow, but I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (I would normally edit this more but my head can't take much more, so please forgive any errors).

After having received a run-down on the job and everything it entailed (which actually wasn’t much, all things considered. Pretty much a ‘dive into an enemy-infested tomb, steal an ancient relic and be back before sundown’ kind of thing), Allison and Renee left Dragonsreach with a promise to meet in the local inn. The Bannered mare, Dan had called it. Said it’s got the best service you’ll find in Skyrim, and that Renee would know where to go. Which should have been straightforward enough, right? Just go out the door, through the city, through another door and congrats; you have reached your destination.  But of course, this was Allison’s life here and nothing could ever just be easy now, could it?

_(And no, that is not a challenge. Please don’t take it as such)._

As such, Allison couldn’t even bring herself to be surprised when Renee drew to a halt in front of a large building- one that was decidedly not an inn, unless Skyrim’s taste in inns was a lot sparser than she was used to- near the big ass tree and the screaming monk. She glanced between it and Allison like she was harbouring more guilt than whoever stole the sweet roll the guards kept whining about. When Allison simply tilted her head in question, Renee gestured at the door hesitantly and asked:

“Do you mind if we make a brief stop here? It’ll only be quick.”

Allison shrugged, eying the building warily- it didn’t look like much, but it wasn’t like it could hurt her. After all, Renee may be mystery number one but it’s not like she was about to lead her to her death now, was she? Well, actually the might be up for debate considering how the woman is intent on dragging her head first into a Nordic gravesite, but still. Her point stands. Renee beamed at her as though the Eve of the Desert eye had come early, and then she was opening the door. Allison barely had time to sigh before they were walking in.

_(She missed the Desert eye a lot and that was probably the one thing she would be willing to admit to because ho boy, was it beautiful)._

‘Here’ turned out to be a temple because of course it was, Renee always took her to the nicest places (at least there was no mention of dragons, this time). She said it was for the Divine Kynareth, deity of the heavens- which was appropriate because Renee did have the whole ‘as illusive as the winds’ thing going on (truly a match made in- well, heaven). It was one of the nicer buildings Allison had seen in Skyrim, if humble, sparse, and filled with the dying and the weeping. Sometimes both combined in one person. While it may not be the best combination, was one of the few aspects of this place that reminded her of home- what had been her home, anyway. She’d burnt those bridges a long time ago.

 _(Where there were rich, there were the poor and there were_ the poor _. That was one of the few rules she found to be universal)._

Renee barely glanced around her, either used to this scenery or excited to be here- just beelined straight to what looked like a shrine but could be some sort of weird sacrificial altar. Her hand was clutching the amulet around her neck (which Allison was just noticing then, what the hell) like it was a lifeline as she knelt down and bent her head forward in prayer. Allison hung back a short ways away, eying the whole thing with more than a little scepticism, but she kept her mouth shut because hey, who was she to judge what other people believed?

_(How ironic it was, that she’d been abandoned by one set of Gods, forsaken and left to die, only to end up in the domain of another)._

A while passed with Renee praying and Allison just hanging around before she rose, placing an offering on the shrine before turning around to Allison once more. Her face seemed a little lighter now, her smile grateful as she walked over, and Allison was about to ask if they were ready to go because this place was making her skin itch when a priest approached, dashing everything into soot. The Priests expression was one of pure delight as she focused entirely on Renee and Allison was starting to wonder what kind of potion Renee had used to get this kind of devotion from the entire damn city.

The Priest said, “I’m glad to see you return.” Which was all well and good, very normal, when she added, “Kynareth welcomes you, my child.” And Allison didn’t know what that meant but whatever, you do you and all that.

Renee tipped her head in reply, smile warm as she said, “Thank you, Sister.” And for a moment they just stood there like that, basking in whatever holy glow those words brought about before they remembered that yes, Allison was standing right there thank you very much, and Renee added, “Ah- this is Danica Pure-Spring, the head priest of this temple. Sister, this is Allison- we met on my travels.”

When Danica nodded at Allison her eyes were soft in a way that felt dimly maternal, as though by setting foot in the building Allison had suddenly become someone precious to her- she had become one of them. She said, “Welcome to Skyrim, my child. May Kynareth’s winds guide your travels.”

“I thank you.”

There was a lull in the conversation before Renee’s expression twisted into pent up concern. She asked, “What happened to the Gildergreen? It looks nothing like it did when I was last here.”

In the lull Renee’s expression twisted into one of concern and she asked, “What happened to the Gildergreen? It looks dead.” Danica’s expression turned wistful, almost grief stricken as though they weren’t talking about a tree here and instead a real, breathing person.

“It is dying.” And with that, Danica proceeded to explain about the magic of the tree and of how it could be saved, using more metaphors than Allison felt were strictly necessary. Renee listened with the kind of intensity only bought on about by being deeply concerned by the subject, but Allison just… faded out. Cause no offence, but hearing about sacred trees from Gods she didn’t worship was not her idea of a fun time. But then Danica mentioned something about Hagravens and sacrifices and Allison was hooked.  Because who could blame her for liking sacrifices? Boy, did she have great times interrupting them in Hammerfell. Plus she’d only ever heard about Hagravens in stories and she was more than a little intrigued to see if they were as hideous as Seth made them out to be.

_(On the good days- the days he wasn’t drowning himself in anything he could find- he’d loved to tell  her stories about Tamriel, painting her pictures about the world she hadn’t gotten to see. The Hagravens had always been a favourite of his and she’d never been certain if he was exaggerating. Now she could finally see it for herself)._

She shot Renee a brief glance to see that she was openly troubled, chewing on her lip like it was her last meal. She seemed to be desperate to save it, to revive this tree and whatever it meant to her, but at the same time uncertain as to what she could do- whether she was allowed to. So that may have been part of what compelled Allison to say, “We could go find the sap?”

She regretted the words almost as soon as they were out of her mouth as both women grasped onto it like Allison had just offered them the King’s head on a platter. She wanted to take it back as Danica proceeded to produce directions and thanks and more information, but what’s done is done right? She couldn’t change her mind at this point without looking like an asshole. Plus Renee looked so genuinely happy at the offer that Allison felt maybe it was worth being shoved head first into a pile of shit. Well, almost. Almost.

_(She wasn’t ready to become a good Samaritan yet, thank you very much)._

* * *

 

By the time they reached the Bannered Mare the sun was finishing the last legs of its journey down, the market square abandoned by all but a few remaining stragglers and the stall owners who were trying to close up. Other than a few people who kept up the old swarm-Renee-like-she’s-the-greatest-thing-they’ve-ever-seen, nobody paid them much attention. It was peaceful, sparse, creating such a stark contrast to the busy streets from mere hours before that it felt like a different world.

_(Not that Allison wasn’t grateful for the respite- the people here were so friendly it gave her whiplash)._

Renee grinned at her, a secretive edge to it that made Allison’s eyebrows raise and wonder how her face hadn’t split yet. She let her hand rest on the doorhandle .

“The Bannered Mare,” she said, “Has the best service you’ll find anywhere in Skyrim.”

Allison echoed sceptically, “The best? What’s their secret?”

Allison had expected at least some kind of elaboration but nope, she got nothing. All Renee said in reply was “Matt.”

“Matt?”

“Matt.”

And with those final words- or word- Renee pushed the door open and proceeded to drag Allison inside the rowdy atmosphere that was the Bannered Mare.

* * *

 

Matt, as it turned out, was a very tall orsimer who, despite having an appearance that was intimidating to the point that Allison had been quite tempted to run, seemed to channel all the warmth from this country because there was no reasonable explanation for how _. Fucking. Friendly_ he was. He beamed at them entering and Allison was left reeling- if she was ever punched in the face by sunshine then she thinks this is what it would feel like. She hadn’t been able to do more than blink and gape as he ushered them to where Dan and Thea were already seated. Somewhere between entering and sitting down he’d introduced himself to Allison with a very enthusiastic shoulder pat that left her actually stumbling because ho boy, he’s strong. And then, he just- whirlwinded away to get food.

(She was mildly concerned for how he didn’t seem to pause for breath like, ever).

The rest of the table just laughed as Allison was left sitting dazed. The only coherent sentence she could manage was:

“So that’s the Matt, huh?”

“Yeap.” Dan’s grin was near blinding from where she was leaning back in her seat, voice making it clear that she was deriving far too much amusement from this, “That’s the Matt. Sweet guy. Was once a guard but found innkeeping was more to his taste.”

Thea seemed at ease inside the Bannered mare, sipping leisurely at her drink as she smiled at Allison from across the table. Her hand was clasped in Dan’s and there was none of the earlier professionalism about her, as though being released from the confines of Dragonsreach led to her dancing to a different tune. She asked, “So how are you finding Skyrim?”

Were it not for the fact that something about this place seemed to put a damper on any danger, then Allison might have been inclined to clam up faster than a fire rune could go off, to shut up and give them nothing. As it was, she merely took a sip of her drink and said, “It’s… interesting. Less sand than I’m used to, and I can’t say the snow is a nice surprise.”

Dan snorted into her drink, “You’d probably best get used to it. The snow is gonna be a constant here.”

“That bad?”

“We’ve probably got all the snow in Tamriel.”

Allison’s face must have contorted in her distaste because the trio laughed at her, sharing quick looks in what was probably meant to be a subtle way. They conversed, digging into the food Matt had placed on their table- which was probably the best meal she’d had in months- and they all drank something, whether alcoholic or not (Allison wasn’t quite ready to be intoxicated in a foreign country yet, whilst Renee said she didn’t want a hangover when they set out in the morning).

For a while, everything was pleasant, it was good- she was enjoying herself and finally able to relax in a situation without being worried she might be stabbed at any given opportunity. But then she noticed the weight of someone’s stare and every muscle in her body tensed, alarm bells ringing through her. Shifting subtly so as to avoid giving anything away, she angled her head to scan the room in search of the culprit, passing it off as talking to Renee.  The catch in her breath was audible when her eyes landed on a figure that was far too familiar for comfort.

A Redguard woman stood in the corner of the room, her eyes  narrowed into a glare and holding a broom with a grip seconds away from snapping it. She looked different, her hair much shorter than the last time she’d seen her and wearing clothes much less lavish than she’d have been seen dead in, but the face- Allison knew that face. She’d known her, and Allison resisted the urge to curse as she realised how this made things much more complicated.

 _(If she was here, then the Alik’r wouldn’t be far behind. And if the Alik’r came here then, well. Allison would have so many problems that her problems would have problems_ ).

Allison turned back to her food, almost wanting to laugh at the predictability of it all. After all, she always did end up in the nicest situations.

* * *

 

What followed was probably one of the shortest waiting games Allison had ever played in her life. She bided her time, acting as though she hadn’t noticed anything, keeping an eye on every breath the woman made. Allison had been known to be patient when she had to be, and this was one of those times. Barely twenty minutes had passed before the Redguard- Saadia as Matt had called her- approached the table, leaning her body close enough to Allison that she ended up with an uncomfortable and unwelcome knowledge of how she probably hadn’t washed in weeks. Maybe even months.

_(Oh how the grand had fallen)._

Saadia- and Allison had to resist the urge to snort at that name because really? Really?- licked her lips and murmured, in what was probably one of the worst renditions of a nervous barmaid Allison had ever seen, “Would you like to talk somewhere a little more…” her eyes flicked around, “private.”

And of course, she dealt with it via a proposition. Allison couldn’t even be surprised- the woman had never been renowned for her ability to act, even if she was a devious bitch. Allison took a heavy swallow from her drink (she wishes it was alcohol), feigning careful consideration about it, before placing her mug down and rising from her seat with a murmured, “I’d be delighted to.”

Allison shot a smirk in response to the looks she got from the others at the table before following the Redguard through the kitchens and up a ladder into a room that was, in a word, tiny. She was rather impressed anyone could even move in there, let alone live. She stood in the centre of the room, ready and waiting as Saadia shut the door behind them. The moment the lock clicked Saadia was moving, a knife drawn. She lunged at Allison, slashing at what would have hit her jugular, but Allison was ready. She froze the ground beneath Saadia’s feet, sending her off balance, and grabbed her, twisting her arm back and punching her in the gut. The knife clattered from her hand with a crash but Allison didn’t give her a moment to breathe before forcing the woman onto the ground, straddling her back.

_(It was almost amusing how easy it was)._

Retrieving the knife from the floor, she held it against the other woman’s neck with a light hum, saying with all the casualness of asking what someone would like to eat, “My my, fancy seeing you her, Iman. I never thought I’d see the day a lady from the great House Suda would be seen as a barmaid, of all things.” Then she paused, “Oh right, that’s not your title anymore, is it? I’ve heard most people call you ‘traitorous bitch’ but ‘Thalmor scum’ also seems rather popular.”

She struggles and fails to dislodge Allison’s grip before going limp with a snarl. Iman spits, “Could say the same to you, Princess.” And the term sounds like a curse from her lips. “Hadn’t expected any of House Reynolds to be seen dead in Skyrim, let alone their favourite pawn.” But then her face takes on a vicious smile, “Especially after your fiancée died. Must have been devastating- the only chance for them to have royal ties to Skyrim, gone.”

Every word was knife-sharp, trying to get a rise out of her- to unbalance her- but Allison only laughed (she had the advantage here, after all. Her family was more discreet in their desire for her head), “I’m on vacation. Always wanted to see the snow and the dirt.”

Iman exhaled, frustration heavy in the sound, and asked, “Are you going to turn me in, then?”

“Hmm,” Allison tilted her head to the side in a display of contemplation before finally shrugging, “Not unless you give me a reason to.”

Iman seemed to consider that, weighing up whether she could trust Allison (for now, maybe) and whether she was telling the truth (not entirely, but close enough), before finally resigning herself to it, her body going limp. She said, “Then I have no quarrel with you.” And then, “Will you let me up now?”

“Do you intend to try to stab me again?”

“No.”

“Very well then.”

Allison rose, taking a few steps away from her to allow Iman to stand. She shot Allison a guarded look, keeping the distance between them as long as they could manage. She didn’t move a muscle, didn’t even blink, and after a few minutes it became clear she was not going to move until Allison was gone. So Allison laughed with the kind of carelessness she had cultivated through years of practise, slipped the knife into her sleeve, and strode to the door. She paused just on the threshold,  and glanced over her shoulder with a smile that was all teeth. She said:

 “Thank you for the knife,” and then, lips curling around the name like it was a delightful joke, “It was lovely to meet you, Saadia.”

And then she walked away. She weaved her way through the main room back to her table, acting for all the world like the past exchange had not happened as she slipped back into her seat. The three stares she received were neither impressed or convinced. Dan was, unsurprisingly, the first to open her mouth, likely to ask a rather upfront question (she didn’t seem to be one to beat around the bush unless she felt it absolutely necessary) only to yelp. Which was not something Allison had expected to hear. Dan cast a glare at Thea, indignation practically oozing off of her, but Thea ignored her in favour of asking Allison:

“Was there a… problem?”

Ah, a problem- so not only were they not fooled, they were also suspicious. She wonders, idly, if they’d heard the crash (possible, as elves have a higher hearing than some species. Not quite the same level as a Khajit but still a fair bit) or Thea had felt when Allison had used magic (an answer which was distinctly more unnerving than the hearing). Writing it off as something to dwell on later, Allison smiled brightly at Thea and said:

“Of course. Saadia darling was just showing me true Skyrim hospitality.”

_(Not a lie, technically. From her experiences so far, being threatened at sword point did seem to be the done thing here)._

None of them looked convinced in any way, but before they could try and linger on it anymore Allison quickly steered the conversation to how the three- four even, Matt musn’t be forgotten- had met. This was a story Dan launched into easily enough, but not before exchanging a loaded look with Renee. Thea sipped at her drink, eyebrows turned down, but otherwise didn’t protest or press further, even interjecting into the story at relevant points. And Renee? She simply watched. Just sat there, not saying a word, and observed, as though she could see into Allison’s very soul.

(Allison couldn’t say she’d be surprised if she was able to. The woman did seem to hoarde mystery like it was her life’s purpose).

* * *

 

Hours had passed before they decided to call it a night, Dan and Thea excusing themselves with the need to get up at the ass crack of dawn, Renee and Allison because- well, because. The married couple left the inn with waved goodbyes and a basket full of sweet rolls that Matt had shoved into their arms, telling them to share it with Wymack. Renee and Allison purchased a room from Matt- one room because they weren’t heathens who would waste good gold. Well, the fact that there was only one room available may have had _some_ influence but still. Not heathens.

_(And they did spend gold on it, despite Matt’s insistence they stay for free. Apparently he couldn’t win a war against Renee in stubbornness)._

So that was how Allison found herself curled up back-to-back with a near stranger, nothing but the thin fabric of their clothing and the sound of their breathing between them. She’d expected it to be hard to sleep sharing a bed (a rather hard bed, now that she thinks about it), but something about Renee’s presence was comforting. Perhaps it was just something about Renee’s presence that did it, or maybe it was the knowledge that she wasn’t alone- whatever it was, it was relaxing. She felt safe, even- a sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time, and that night her sleep was blissful, free from dreams or disturbances.

( _It had been a long time since Allison had trusted someone this much, this fast, and it was dangerous. It was senseless and she should be terrified, but despite everything that warned against it, she wanted this- this bond she was developing with Renee._

_Somehow, she wanted this to be real)._

**Author's Note:**

> Can be found on my[ tumblr, polyhymina.](http://polyhymina.tumblr.com/tagged/skyrim-au)


End file.
